Sacrifices
by Aeanagwen
Summary: A Phantasy Star AU story. What if Rune had tried to fight Zio alone to avenge the death of Alys? YAOI. WARNING. The first of its kind! At least the first one I've ever seen. Don't read it if you can't take it. CHAPTER THREE UPLOADED.
1. Chapter One

This will be, as I said in the teaser, the first fic of its genre for the Phantasy Star fanbase of the US/English-speaking world. I really doubt it's the first of its kind, period, given the Japanese fangirl fondness for this genre. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm talking about yaoi. Not shonen ai. Yaoi. I don't get descriptive, mind you, because I'm many things, but a lemon author isn't one of them (not that I know enough about sex to write lemons anyway). 

However, this fic didn't get an R rating for nothing. There are two pairings, both of which involve Rune. The first should be obvious, and I warn you, Rune is going to _suffer_. I apologize up front to the Rune fans. Please, be warned, if you can't stomach rape and torture of your favorite character, I'd advise you avoid this one. I fix him later on with the second pairing, but you gotta break it before you can fix it, ne? 

As to why the Hell I wrote it? Well, first off all, I blame it all on my dear friend Celleri. She talked me into it. (Kidding, C-chan.) It all started with an IM discussion about why on earth there is no yaoi in the PS fanbase, given the over-abundance of yaoi in every _other _fanbase, and the boundless opportunity presented by the game itself. In short, I took the job of writing this fic on a dare. To see if I could, and because, I'll admit, there's a healthy yaoi fangirl in me, although I don't usually write non-canon yaoi--ie, any yaoi other than Tomo angsting over Nakago (characters from the anime Fushigi Yuugi), because it's hard to write Tomo fanfiction that isn't yaoi. At any rate, here is the first angst-ridden chapter, have at, have fun, and flame away; that's half the reason I'm posting this here anyway. 

--------------------------------- 

The stars glittered brightly in the heavens, their light casting the land below in a cool wash of silver. They glimmered in the cerulean depths of the hair of the man watching them, pain aching in pool-blue eyes. His handsome face upturned to the skies, Rune wrestled with his grief and, moreso, his guilt. It was a pretty speech he'd made to Chaz, but then, what did the boy have to feel guilty for, anyway? He'd done all he could, a stark contrast to a certain Esper. 

_I knew. I knew, Alys. The moment it happened, I knew. But I still didn't go to you. Why? Why was I cowering back in the Tower instead of fighting with you? Am I that much of a coward?_

He raked a hand through his hair, already mussed from numerous such gestures, and gave a rueful smile to the night sky, the amusement not reaching his eyes before it faded and died. 

_Are you laughing at me now, Alys? Telling me to get off my backside and help when I'm needed? But you can't make me. Not anymore._

Rune turned his attention from the stars with a soft sigh of regret. "It's my fault," he told himself softly. "I should have been there, Psycho Wand or no. I could have gotten us away when things got worse. But I was too damned arrogant to fight with anyone but her." 

She would have welcomed him, he knew. If he'd deigned to join her. And now it was too late. 

_Sorry, Alys. You'll never know how much. But I didn't join them before, when you were with them, and I'm not going to join them now. Teamwork just isn't my style. But I'm not going to let your death go unaccounted for._

Lifting the Psycho Wand in one hand, he gave it a practice swing; despite its power, it was no different than handling a staff, really. Its golden surface glimmered in the quicksilver radiance of the stars, all but shouting its power in a steady pulsing at Rune's touch. 

_This is all I need. I'm going to make him pay for your death, Alys. You won't be unavenged. I swear it._

Turning, he invoked Ryuka, calm as the world around him dissolved into the fields outside of Kadary. Determination burning in his eyes, he strode firmly towards Zio's fortress, a black etched shadow cut into the star-flecked horizon. 

The dark walls soared high and unassailable as he approached. The air was heavy, oppressive, wind whipping his cloak behind him. Glaring up at the battlements, he raised his voice in a cry of challenge. 

"Zio! I call you out, Zio! Face me!" 

The man who appeared at the turrets was tall, with dark hair and a cold smile on his porcelain-pale face. The evil enveloping him swept over Rune's trained senses like some choking, noxious gas. The Esper did not acknowledge--would not allow himself to acknowledge--the strength of that power as Zio replied, his voice carrying over the distance. 

"Another visitor? But at least you have the courtesy to come openly. For that, I'll grant you time to explain yourself before I destroy you." 

Unflinching, Rune shouted back, "I'm Rune Walsh. I've come to avenge the death of Alys Brangwin, monster!" 

The other man smirked. "There's nothing to avenge. The woman took the blow by her own choice. But if you wish to join her in the next world, I'll be more than happy to send you after her." 

"Go ahead and try," Rune answered, throwing one hand into the air and calling upon his magic. "Flaeli!" 

The bolt of fire descended, and Rune watched as it struck and simply disappeared inches from Zio's head. Nodding grimly to himself at the affirmation of the barrier, the Esper raised the Psycho Wand to dispel it. 

"I gave you first cast, as my guest," came the voice from above, distracting him. "I believe it's my turn now. 

"Corrosion!" 

Rune's eyes widened as he hastily tried to raise a shield, then he cried out, struck by the spell. Gritting his teeth, he firmed his stance, glaring at his opponent as he again focused the power of the artifact he bore. 

Zio vanished. 

Rune hissed a curse, head jerking up as he searched the walls for the older man. Suddenly, black gloved hands reached from behind him, seizing the Psycho Wand and twisting it parallel to the ground, jerking it back hard into his throat. Choking for breath, he felt Zio's smile as he was pressed against the man's chest, the golden staff cutting off his air and sending dull flashes through his vision. Sharply aware of the breath at his neck, he growled angrily, hands shoving against the Psycho Wand, an action which only pushed him further into his opponent's arms. 

Then Zio bent his head close and, for a heartbeat, Rune felt him gathering power before the voice whispered in his ear. 

"Hewn." 

Rune froze, stunned, then staggered as Zio shoved him forward, the wind spell lashing at him viscously before throwing him to the ground. Gasping in pain and too shocked to concentrate enough to perform a healing spell, he managed to turn to the side as Zio calmly approached his prone, sorely injured body. "Hewn," he choked out, panting. "That's--Esper magic... How did you--?" 

His opponent knelt, that same mocking smile playing at his lips, and Rune saw the confirmation in his jet black eyes. 

"You--Esper?!" 

And if Zio gave an answer, the reply was unheard as everything went black. 

- 

"He's gone after Zio," Rika said quietly when a search failed to find the missing Esper. 

"He--after Zio?" Chaz's voice sounded numb even to his own ears. 

"The Psycho Wand is gone, too," Hahn said quietly, his eyes dark and solemn as he entered the room. 

Chaz cursed softly. _Rune, you stupid, arrogant--!_

"What are we waiting for, then?" Gryz demanded. "He'll need our help!" 

The young man shook his head. "We can't. Not without the Psycho Wand." The words felt tight and strained in his dry throat. 

"We can't just sit here cooling our heels!" the Motavian argued. "What if Rune dies because we aren't there?" 

"He'll be fine," Chaz snapped, trying to ignore the growing lump of sickened fear in his heart. "He has to be. We've all seen how powerful he is, right?" 

Gryz's reddening eyes narrowed and his response was quiet and harsh. "Yes. But we've seen how powerful Zio is, too." 

The blond opened his mouth to reply, and found himself without ready answer. He looked away, hesitating, unsure. _Maybe we _should _go..._

"Chaz is right," Demi said softly. "We cannot fight Zio without Rune. We are not strong enough yet, even if we _did _have the Psycho Wand. And there is no way to know whether or not Rune might have escaped on his own." 

Chaz shot the android a grateful look and squared his shoulders, looking back up at the Motavian. "It's settled. We wait, at least for a few days." He drew a deep breath, trying to banish his misgivings. "If he's not back yet, then we'll--we'll see." 

_Rune... You stupid jerk. Please be all right._

- 

The distant, throbbing pain resolved itself into clarity as Rune felt someone grab his hair in a clenched hand and lift his head. The Esper opened his eyes, blinking to clear his blurred vision and stared at the sable eyes looking down at him. "Awake now," Zio said quietly, his face impassive. "Good. An offering is best made with the sacrifice conscious." 

Anger flared with pain as Rune shifted, noticing the shackles locked around his wrists and ankles. Ruthlessly throttling back a pained groan, he glared at the man in stubborn, haughty silence, mentally assessing his situation. 

"Defiance. And strength. Fortunate for you; you'll need them both." The lack of emotion in him was unsettling, something Rune was trying not to think about. Without loosing his grip in his captive's hair, Zio pulled a flask of Dimate from his cape and pushed it under the startled man's face. 

Rune gave a low hiss as he felt the healing vapors take effect, and stared up at the older man in masked confusion. 

"The first sacrifice requires that you be in good health," Zio said calmly. 

"First sacrifice?" Rune asked with stinging sarcasm. "I'm to serve as more than one?" 

Zio gave him a dark smile in answer, not the most comforting of replies. "Many more than one. I'm not going to kill you, Esper. Not yet." Still smiling, an expression that didn't reach his eyes, Zio leaned closer, pushing Rune's head against the wall. 

"Rage," he said softly, a light of intensity smoldering in his crimson eyes. "Fear. Sorrow. Suffering. They're all excellent offerings to Dark Force. But they're not the only ones. They're only a handful." 

His fixed gaze unwavering, Zio continued, his gloved hand rising to pull free the chain of Rune's cape, letting the white fabric slide abandoned to the floor. "Hatred. Despair. Helplessness. Vengefulness. Shame. Lust. Jealousy." He raised a hand, white circles spreading out from it as he invoked Rimit, and Rune felt his strength seep away. He fell limp in exhaustion, and the older man released him, cool and utterly detached. 

"Why would I kill you when I can do so much worse while you're still alive?" 

Gritting his teeth, Rune forced out his words. "What the Hell are you babbling about, Zio?!" 

He felt the unseen smile. "You'll know soon, Rune Walsh. Very soon." 

- 

Rune lay limply on the bed, too drained to waste his strength with words, glaring at his captor suspiciously. Zio had discarded the ebon armor shoulder-plates and, with them, his flowing cape of black and red. As Rune watched, he peeled away his shirt, dropping it neatly in a chair by the window, the glove still on his right hand. Likewise removing his boots, he approached the bed, an impassive expression on his face. 

The Esper's eyes widened, a stab of cold apprehension slamming into his gut as, moving with calm unhurried purpose, Zio drew a dagger that looked definitely ceremonial, and not at all pleasant. Sitting down on the side of the bed, he slowly drew the blade down the front of Rune's shirt, slashing it open, pulling it away, and dropping it to the floor. Next, he lifted Rune's ponytail and, with a deft slice, cut the tie, loosing a spill of pale blue hair over the Esper's shoulder. 

With his gloved hand, he tilted up Rune's chin. The sense of darkness was so thick, so palpable, that the physical contact almost burned. Rune jerked, trying to shy away, feeling desperation begin to sheet through him, raw and ragged. Zio gave him the slightest of smiles, simultaneously capturing his chin in that tainted hand and threading a grip through his hair, the flat of the dagger pressed against his jaw, the tip pricking his neck. 

"Tell me, Esper," he began, almost conversationally, "have you ever known the touch of another?" 

Rune felt his heart begin to pound against his ribcage as, again, he thrashed weakly against the hold, a curse slipping through numbed lips. The smile widened as Zio lifted himself up, straddling his captive in a single smooth motion. 

"Good," he said as leaned closer, ebon gaze hypnotizing, intense. "Then your innocence will be the first sacrifice to my god." 

Then his lips were on Rune's, cold, ruthless, the hand at his chin clawing fiercely downward. Stomach roiling, the younger man turned his head to the side, and the light of the setting sun assailed his eyes. He fought. Oh, he fought, with all strength he could wring from his enspelled body. 

But the pain came, with his wrists pinned against the mattress, his fists clenched in the sheets, his back arching up as he loosed a hoarse cry of pain. It stabbed--again, and again, and again, not ceasing until long after he could no longer see the light. 

--------------------------------- 

To be continued, obviously; I'm not evil enough to end it there. There's a lot more that has to happen yet. More chapters soon to come! ^__^ Oh, and I know the title is completely and utterly lame and cliché and an understatement. When I come up with something better I'll let you guys know. 


	2. Chapter Two

Yes, finally, it's the second chapter. I'm sure you're all so thrilled, huh? More Rune torture, although this time not of the sexual sort, but the rating remains R if only for the references, and some cursing. 

Hopefully the next chapter won't take me so horribly long to get out. I feel the need to have at least one Chaz-tachi scene in every chapter, so that the reader will know why they're were they are when they finally reenter the plot in an important way, and these scenes always take me the longest to write, if only for the referencing I have to do to my beta reader to make sure I'm keeping everyone in character. 

Spoilers for the game, as in the last chapter--but then, I doubt many of you guys are reading this anyway, so what of you are, go for it, and please give me feedback and/or flames. 

--- 

That had been--distasteful. I would have preferred finding another way to break the Esper, but such was the pleasure of Dark Force. And it was certainly less time consuming than other, more mundane methods of torture. Not that I wouldn't eventually be using those methods as well, I reflected sardonically as I stood, slipping neatly back into the pants and shirt I'd discarded and turning to look at the captive. 

He lay limp on the sheets--which would need to be cleaned--his hair tangled in sweat soaked strands about his shoulders and face. One of his arms hung off the side of the bed, unmoving fingers dangling just above the floor. His eyes, what I could see of them through clinging blue hair, were glazed over with pain and exhaustion, staring blankly forward, as though he were trying to distance himself from the experience. 

When I again lowered myself to the bed, however, he twitched violently, gaze snapping to me. I smiled slightly at the morass of emotions in his eyes--hatred, rage, that enticing edge of fear. 

_Such a beautiful sacrifice._

My smile faded with the thought. I suppose I shouldn't have hoped one night would quiet that part of myself. Dark Force had to be properly served, of course. I knew the consequences of disobeying its will. 

Rune opened his mouth, to curse me, I'm sure, but the only sounds that emerged were the slow, panted breaths, pained and shallow. 

I knew the consequences all too well. 

_He will suffer to pleasure my god!_

Yes. 

Impassively, I brushed at Rune's hair, amused at the way he tried to pull away and only barely managed to choke back a groan as his battered body protested the treatment. The Rimit spell was beginning to wear off, granted, but now the unnatural weariness was being pushed aside by the more physical variety--which was much more painful as well, of course. 

Ignoring his attempt to shy away, I leaned closer, touched my bare hand to his forehead, and then delved into his mind. 

- 

Cold. It was cold. Not to the point of numbness--he would have preferred being numb; it would have been less painful. He shook his head, struggling to focus through the haze in his mind. He was close. The Esper Mansion was close, he just had to _find _it through the thrice-cursed _snow. _He could imagine it so clearly--why on earth had he ever wanted to leave it? He couldn't remember. But it was close, a beckoning warmth in one corner of his mind; all he had to do was keep moving. 

He didn't notice the woman blocking his path until he'd slammed right into her. He stumbled back, trying to find strength to mouth an apology. Then he froze, staring mutely into the flashing eyes of Alys Brangwin. 

"Alys?" he asked, shocked. "What are you doing out here? How did you--?" He started to move closer, then backpedaled as she drew her slashers. 

"Keep your distance, Walsh," she said coldly. "You're not fooling me again." 

"Fooling you?" he replied, mystified. "What are you--?" 

"Stay back, I said!" she barked, weapons leaping higher, aimed at his neck. "Esper or not, you're still vulnerable to having your head sliced clean off." 

Something was wrong, so terribly _wrong_, and he couldn't remember what it was, only some nagging, insistent corner of his mind screaming at him that there was something he wasn't grasping. Wait--how had she gotten to Dezolis in the first place? Only the most powerful Espers could activate the wards at the Ladea Tower without the spells ingrained in the Psycho Wand. 

"How did you get here, Alys?" he asked through the snapping winds. She didn't have the Psycho Wand; she couldn't have it. _Chaz _had been coming to get it--but _why?_

"Why does it matter, Rune?" she answered with a hard smile. "It's not like you care about me." Then, before he could demand an explanation for _that _ridiculous statement, she cried out in pain, staggering, pressing one forearm to her side without releasing her weapons. 

"Alys!" he shouted, starting to jump forward, only to be met by her renewed glare, venomous and filled with pain. He stopped, staring at her in stunned incomprehension as she sank to one knee, the one slasher pointed at him dropping lower. "What's wrong?" 

"The taint," she gasped, "not that you care." She collapsed, weapons falling abandoned into the snow. 

"Why do you keep saying that?!" he demanded as he knelt beside her, pulling her into his lap and trying to see the wound she wrapped her arms around so tightly. 

She shoved at him feebly, the hate in her eyes losing force before agony as she gritted, "Because it's true. If you cared, you would have been there for me, you heartless, arrogant son of a bitch!" 

"Been _where?!_" he half-shouted, hating the way his voice cracked. One step closer to panic. "I don't know what you're talking about!" 

Something in her gaze stopped him cold, frozen in place, unable to move as her eyes narrowed and she whispered, "You _know._" 

She stiffened suddenly, with a strangled shriek, then went limp in his arms, head falling back. Shock spilled through him, then denial, and he felt hot, burning moisture stinging in his eyes as he shook her, trying to rouse her, to jolt that blank mask of death free of her face. 

"Alys--? Alys! I don't understand, Alys! _Alys!_" The last emerged as a hoarse, ragged shout as the tears escaped his eyes and spilled down his face. 

"Alys, no..." he choked, then looked up wildly as he heard the soft, cold laughter echoing in the barren emptiness around him. 

He opened his eyes, and disorientation swept over him as he was greeted by the black curtains and red silk of a bedchamber, a cold room that was nonetheless practically steaming after the heavy cold of the Dezolis snows. Memory spilled back as his gaze locked on the cold, calm smile of the man sitting beside him on the bed, and wild grief was swept away by fury. 

In sudden disregard for his lack of clothing, Rune lunged forward, too enraged to even attempt to use magic to escape or shield. Zio's smile widened in amusement and mockery as he calmly lifted his arms to block. The Esper snarled, feeling the heat of the tears on his face, tears evoked by a cruel illusion, a vision of all of his own turmoil and guilt turned against him, an attack within his own mind. 

Driven by seething rage, he felt the fingers of one hand catch and coil in the black leather of Zio's glove. Seeing the sudden, unexpected expression of shock and fear flash over the older man's face, Rune gave a feral growl and pulled at it viciously, determined to see what Zio masked from the world, what scarred his hand so that its mere touch burned like dark fire. 

Zio pushed him back, onyx eyes wide, trying to tear his arm free, wrestling in sudden desperation that the Esper could sense in stark clarity, his empathy heightened by the rush of adrenaline throbbing in his blood. 

Zio was no match for him in physical strength, and, suddenly, the glove tore loose. Rune froze, staring in horror at the sight exposed to his disbelieving gaze. 

- 

I sat still, unable to move, hearing my heart thundering in my ears as Rune fixed wide blue eyes on my left hand. Tainted was too kind a description for what had been done to it so many years ago. Remembered pain burned in my fingers, the echo of a shrill scream of utter, indescribable agony ringing inside of my mind. In the light, I stared at it for the first time since I'd donned the glove, which I never once afterwards had removed. 

Nothing had changed. If anything, it had grown worse. The fingers could barely be called that anymore, twisted and clawlike as they had become. The skin gleamed a sickly, oily black, no longer even remotely human. Once flawless flesh was marred by scars, testament to where I'd gripped it tightly as it transformed, wracking me with spasms of a pain that was anathema to every creature of the Light, a torture that hollowed my mind, a violation so deep and lasting that I would never be rid of it. All for the sin of daring to disobey the master to which I had willingly given my soul. All I'd wanted then was to understand the power in me, the magic, true magic, that I could not control or comprehend, that had been driving me half-mad. 

I should have been an Esper. _Was _an Esper. But because of the magic, I'd been cast out of my home, given my soul to the darkness, then twisted and tainted forever at the first show of a will of my own, branded with another self, one that lived only to serve Dark Force. That voice, ever in the back of my thoughts, that took control if I lacked care, the one that wished even the act of joining to be twisted. And now the almighty Lutz _dared _to stare at me as though I were some animal, some abused creature that didn't know what it was doing. 

Pity. He _pitied _me. He knew _nothing _of me, of the torment I'd seen, and he _dared _to show me _pity!_

It was too much to bear. The outrage of it, the fury, welled up inside me, stronger than anything I'd felt in years. And thus when that voice inside of me cried out, I did not even attempt to fight it back. 

_Make him suffer! Teach him the meaning of pain! Twist his purity--show him what it is to touch the glory of Dark Force!_

No, for once that voice and I were in complete accord. For the first time in my servitude, I willingly offered up control of my body to it, allowing it free reign, with my blessings, to do as it would to the one who'd stripped me of my most important shield. 

- 

That feeling of sickness hadn't vanished from Chaz's stomach as the day went on. By the time lunchtime had gone by, Chaz's dread had been too much for him to keep from the others. He'd found Demi with Rika and asked the android, fearfully, and not without hesitance, what had happened to _her _when she'd been Zio's captive. 

Ignoring his hurried apologies for the question, she'd said simply that there was little Zio _could _have done to her without damaging her too greatly to be useful, but that Rune was a different matter entirely. 

"I wish I could give you more hopeful words, Chaz," she'd said regretfully, "but Zio's mind--is less than stable, I believe. At times, he was perfectly calm, then, at others, he would grow violent, demand that I carry out his orders. It was highly irregular." 

Nodding wearily, he'd left, noticing Rika's encouraging smile and offering a poor, wan attempt to return it. Seeking some solitude to practice with his sword, he'd tried to find some solace in physical exertion. There'd been little of the sort, as he could almost hear Rune rebuking him for any falter or misstep. 

Dinner had been an ordeal, to say the least. Rika, to her credit, had made an attempt at conversation, cheerful as always, though it was slightly forced. Hahn had responded well enough, but Chaz had been too distracted to contribute much, espescially with Gryz's poorly-disguised dissaproval of the choice to wait made obvious with any contribution the Motavian made. Chaz had left the dinner table early, claiming weariness; it was true enough, if in a mental sense rather than a physical. 

As he'd expected, he couldn't sleep. The remembered battle against Zio haunted him, with Rune's face in his mind everytime he'd closed his eyes. He'd gone still when the others had come in, tired of playing leader, tired of talking. 

Tired as he was, however, it was well past midnight before uneasy sleep finally claimed him. 

------ 

Yes, the Chaz scene sucked ass. I hope to do better next chapter, when the group actually gets off its collective butt and goes to _do _something about the situation. 


	3. Chapter Three

Finally, chapter three! Yes, I know, it's been an ungodly long time in coming. Too many projects, too little motivation. (Hint: feedback motivates me.) Last time, Rune got Zio's glove off and Zio gave himself over to his mysterious internal voice. Now, we see the repercussions of that... 

- 

He'd gone mad. Or something else had taken him. Whatever it was, there was nothing human in those blazing red eyes. His empathic feel had changed as well--gone from calm, icy cruelty that had been tinged with that damnable practicality, to a deep well of raging fury and the promise of suffering soon to come. 

Rune was afraid. Before he would have covered that fear with anger, defiance, but this... This was beyond him; the knowledge screamed itself to him from all of his senses, the physical and those that were his Esper birthright. He was afraid, and there would be no hiding it this time, not from those eyes, eyes devoured in scarlet flame. 

Zio gestured with his twisted, blackened hand, and the white circles of Rimit again settled over the Esper, draining his strength. He tried once to push himself back, but too late, as the exhaustion slammed into him like a physical force. 

Then those hands were on him again, and it was all he could do not to scream at the blinding flash of pain, sharp and indescribable, fueled by hatred unspeakably deep, knifing up his arm from where ruined fingers encircled his wrist, nails like claws piercing his skin and spilling fresh blood. 

He could only distantly feel his arms jerked above his head and pinned there with the Darkness-tainted hand, but he forced himself to look up, vision blurred with agony. At the sight of the wide, inhuman grin above him, he felt himself begin to tremble. 

"I will show you, Rune Walsh, Esper, fifth Lutz," Zio nearly crooned, a terrifying glow of delight in his eyes that was so focused and intense it left the word insanity far behind. 

This--was not Zio. Not anymore. 

"I will show you such torments... You will beg for death, but I will not grant it, not at first. You will be healed only to be broken again, and only after you have been reduced to nothing but a gibbering blank slate, with a mind remembering only the pain I will serve you, only then will your lifeblood be your final offering to my great and only god, _Dark Force!_" 

He laughed then, high, broken, the obscene joy in him dizzying to the senses. The ceremonial dagger from before flashed bright silver, and Rune caught only the barest glance of the reflection of his cerulean eyes, widened with fright, before the blade descended in a shining arc of moonlight, staining pristine silver red with blood, and shattering the darkness with the sound of his choked shout of pain. 

- 

Awareness returned slowly, shot through with flashes of what had happened--teeth gritted to throttle back cries, a blood-streaked chest heaving with panted breaths, a red-sheened dagger raised to pale blue hair... 

My other self had been busy. 

The Esper lay in a spill of limbs on the floor, still unclothed and, from the looks of it, very much unconscious. I wondered how long that had taken, and how much time afterwards had passed before the voice had been sated. Red furrows carved across his chest and over his unprotected back, magically inflicted wounds mingled with neater, steel-drawn lines. If the red staining my own hands and clothing was any indication, however, the rest of the damage had been inflicted without material aid. Blue strands of hair dampened with sweat clung to his face in messy tangles, but the majority of it was scattered over the floor, chopped short by a vengeful blade. 

My eyes skimmed over the floor, the discarded dagger laying near the unconscious man's prone form, the sheets spilling over the side of the bed, and then up the walls, which were also streaked with red in places, as though the Esper had been thrown back against them before collapsing again. 

My gaze found him again, staring at his downturned face, which was creased with lines of pain. Walking over slowly, I prodded his chin with my boot. He did not so much as twitch in response. Assured that I could afford to leave briefly, I teleported away to cleanse myself and secure restraints for my 'guest.' 

I might have been unnerved, once, but I knew better than any what I was now capable of--and any second thoughts I might have had about the Esper's fate had been banished. All I could feel was the bitterness, deep and angry and ageless. 

---- 

Still no sign of or word from Rune, and Chaz was finding it more difficult to redress Gryz's frustrations with the situation when he himself thought he might go crazy with the waiting. 

"Why are we still waiting?" the Motavian was snapping. 

"Because we can't beat Zio without Rune and the Psycho Wand," Chaz replied, pausing in yet another workout with a look of pained patience. 

"We aren't going to get either of them back wasting our time and money in inns!" 

It was true, piercingly so. Chaz winced, and tried not to show it. "What do you want to do, Gryz?!" he shot back, frustrated. "Run in and get ourselves killed? Who do you want to serve up to the Black Wave this time? Hahn? Rika? Maybe we can just hand Demi back over? Or maybe just get rid of _me?_" 

The Motavian's eyes widened and, after a moment of staring, he subsided, reluctantly. Chaz looked at him for a few seconds, then sighed, turning away. 

"Give it one more day, Gryz," he said softly. "Then we'll figure something out. Maybe Demi can sneak us in or something. We'll think of _something, _I promise." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gryz study him, then nod, and head back to the inn. 

He sighed again, sheathing his sword and running a hand through his hair. _Why do they keep doing this to me? If Gryz hates waiting so much, why doesn't he go by himself? Why are they all looking to _me? 

"Chaz?" came a gentle voice from behind him. He turned, feeling a blush suffuse his face as he did so, and looked into kind red eyes. "Are you all right?" 

"Rika, I'm..." He wanted to say he was fine, and simply couldn't bring himself to do it. He folded his arms, and leaned against a tree, and finished instead, "I'm--confused." 

She tilted her head, a catlike mannerism he'd seen her use before. "What about?" 

Avoiding her eyes, uncomfortable, he looked for the words. 

"Why--why do you guys follow me? Alys was the leader; I was just her student. I mean, you've got your instincts, and Hahn and Demi are worlds smarter than me. Even Gryz has more conviction. So why--why's everyone following me? I don't know what to do; Gryz hates the decision and probably everyone else does too, they're just being nicer about it and--" 

About the time he realized he was babbling and tried to unwire his mouth from his train of thought, Rika neatly resolved matters by touching a clawed fingertip to his lips. She smiled, sending the heat flooding back into his cheeks, and shook her head. 

"You trusted Alys, didn't you?" she asked and, when he nodded stupidly, gave him a sunny smile. "So did we. And she left you in charge, so we have faith in her judgment." Perhaps seeing what his protest would have been, she pressed, "Gryz too. He just doesn't like waiting, but I'm sure he understands." 

She pulled her hand back and gave him a cute smile. Scratching his neck, he returned it nervously. 

"Thanks, Rika." 

---- 

Rune woke in a haze of pain from untreated wounds. He turned slowly onto his back, trying to bite back a groan, one arm raised protectively in front of his face. It took him several seconds to realize that he was alone in the room; exhaustion and pain had dulled his perception, and the constant hanging taint of Darkness in the Fortress had clouded his Esper senses. He lowered his arm with a slight hiss and winced as he saw the blood staining the walls. Teeth clenched, he stumbled to his feet, leaning on the bed and taking a few deep breaths to steady himself. 

Escape. Reclaiming the Psycho Wand could wait; Zio wouldn't be able to use it in any case. He closed his eyes, focusing on his reserves--he was still physically exhausted, but not so mentally drained that he couldn't manage a spell or two. Escape, however, wouldn't do him much good if he died from exposure to the elements, so he bent painfully, reaching for the clothes lying abandoned on the floor. Just as his fingers closed in the fabric, the door to the room opened, setting off all his senses' alarms. He sank back against the bed, feeling hatred twist his expression. 

Zio blinked once as his eyes, now black and empty again, traced from where Rune had regained consciousness up to the Esper's still unclothed form. A smirk that didn't reach his gaze pulled at his lips as he looked into Rune's eyes and threw a knot of chains at the man's feet. 

"Make it easier for yourself," he said coldly as the Esper's eyes widened at the sight of iron manacles, "and don't make me put them on you." 

"Rot in your own chains, Zio," Rune snarled back, cursing his captor for not taking a few minutes longer. 

"Still defiant?" Zio asked calmly, raising one sable eyebrow. "Fool." 

Rune didn't respond, instead giving his captor's gloved hand a pointed look. It was with some dark satisfaction that he saw Zio's eyes narrow faintly, and felt his empathy stir in response to the man's sudden, slight air of defensiveness. Reining back his temper, he forced himself to stop and think, to withdraw, to distance himself. 

With an impassive look, Zio raised his good arm and renewed the Rimit spell. Rune fell, but drew a grim smile to his lips. He couldn't fight physically, but there were other battlefields. Staring at him impassively, his captor approached as he slipped to the floor. 

"You're pathetic," the Esper said quietly, watching as Zio knelt, picking up the first of the manacles and taking one of Rune's wrists. 

"I'm not the one being put in chains." The response was soft, black eyes cold and harsh, pitiless--but Rune could feel the chord of hard acknowledgment deep within him. Something in this willing servant of the Darkness agreed with the statement. 

Staring at him intently, not bothering to try to pull at the restraint, Rune murmured, "You don't want to do this..." 

Zio clicked the other shackle around Rune, not responding one way or another, his feel icy and pragmatic, unyielding, like someone in a situation wherein they have only one course open to them and have accepted it, unsavory though it is. 

"You don't _have _to..." 

"And have something like this happen again?" Zio snapped, sending a brief, narrow-eyed glance at his gloved hand. Looks at Rune disdainfully, he straightened, closing the other ends of the chains into place on one of the bed posts. "Exactly what choice do you think I have, Esper?" 

"There is always a choice," Rune ground out. "What are you gaining by causing so much pain?" 

Zio gave him a smile laced with bitterness. "A reprieve for myself? At least this way I have some illusion of control." 

The Esper stared at him, striving to feel him out further. "Are you really satisfied with just an illusion?" he asked slowly. 

Zio's smile slipped away, his expression returning to its previous unyielding resignation. "I'm satisfied with never having to experience this again," he replied calmly, raising his stricken arm. "Make yourself comfortable, Lutz; you'll be there for some time yet." Cape swirling black and red about his shoulders, he turned and left the room. 

Alone, Rune let his head fall back against the bed, giving his chained hands a pained, weary glare. 

_Selfish. Light, he's so selfish... But how can I blame him? What it felt like just to _touch _that; how can it have felt to have it done, to have to live with it every day of his life?___

The guilt was sudden and unexpected. How could it never have occurred to the Espers that children with magic could be born on Motavia as well as Dezolis? How could _he _have wandered so long on both planets and never thought of it? Or did they all choose to ignore it? Hidden away in their Mansion for so long, looking to a legend for guidance and protection, while that legend dodged his duties and traveled, did Espers and Lutz all ignore their obligations to the race because it was simpler that way? 

Too many came to the Mansion lacking skill and control, and sometimes with an accident with their powers to atone for. For Zio, trapped on the desert planet with no place to turn, no one to explain to him, no one to teach him; how much had he endured before the seduction of his power being fully controlled and masterfully wielded became too strong? And that hideous arm; when had that been inflicted on him? 

Worse, how many had there been like him before the Darkness's reemergence, how many who died or were driven mad by power they couldn't control or understand? 

_I'm the Lutz. The most powerful Esper in the two worlds. This was my duty.___

_My duty..._

How old was Zio? About Rune's own age, from his appearance. And how old would have have been when his magic first began to manifest? How old would Rune have been? 

_Not old enough. Even if I'd known, I couldn't have come here if I'd wanted to. Zio's choice was his own. And those who've suffered before him; they're more failures of those who came before me than they are failures of mine. But those now, and those who come after... Those, I can help. If I live, I can ensure their salvation from Darkness, from madness and death._

A sardonic smile curved his lips once more.__

_Zio... You're selfish, and I'm arrogant. By right of birth, you're one of my own. Your punishment or your relief lies in my hands. I'll endure this as penance for my thoughtlessness, but I will live. And when I'm strong enough and you've let down your guard, I'll kill you, for what you've done and for your freedom.___

_Because it's the only way either of us will ever be free again.___

- 

Yes, I know I said last chapter that Chaz-tachi would do something this time around. Sadly, it didn't happen. Next time, I swear! *holds hand over heart, nods solemnly* 

As for Zio's voice, if you look in the game, you notice that Zio has some pretty violent mood swings, as Demi commented last chapter. They're unexplained, but everytime they happen, his eyes glow red. An author writing game-Zio pretty much has to work out an explanation for them that works for his or her own story, and this was mine: that, when Zio's arm was monsterized, he was also branded with an internal Dark Force zealot that takes over when he isn't being pious or sadistic or obediant enough, or sometimes just when it's really over-eager. Thoughts? 

As always, I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter. 


End file.
